A centre of expertise in digital information An Introduction to Web 2.0 and the Social Web:...

A centre of expertise in digital information management

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An Introduction to Web 2.0 and the Social Web: Addressing The ChallengesBrian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath, UK

UKOLN is supported by:This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

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http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/events/renaissance-west-midlands-2009/

Email:[email protected]:http://twitter.com/briankelly/

Blog:http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/

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The Challenges

Challenges

Resources

ExpertiseTime

Money

Understanding

Legal Issues IT Services

Colleagues

Management

Accessibility

Sustainability

Reliability

Culturalissues

Technical Issues

Interoperability

Privacy, DPA, FOI, ..

Council


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Web 2.0 BacklashWhen significant new things appear:

• Enthusiasts / early adopters predict a transformation of society

• Sceptics outline the limitations & deficienciesThere’s a need to:

• Promote the benefits to the wider community (esp. those willing to try if convinced of benefits)

• Be realistic and recognise limitations• Address inappropriate criticisms

Web 2.0: It’s a silly name. It’s just a marketing term. There are lots of poor Web 2.0 services. There wasn’t a Web 1.0. What follows it?It does have a marketing aspect – and that’s OK. It isn’t formally defined – it describes a pattern of related usage. There will be poor (and good) Web 2.0 services – just like anything else. Any usage will arrive at a follow-up term.

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Takeup Of New TechnologiesThe Gartner curve

Developers

Rising expectations

Trough of despair

Service plateau

Enterprise softwareLarge budgets…

ChasmFailure to go beyond developers & early adopters (cf Gopher)Need for:

• Advocacy• Listening to users• Addressing concerns• Deployment strategies• …

This talks looks at approaches for avoiding the chasm

Early adopters


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Beware The IT FundamentalistsWe need to avoid simplistic solutions to the complexities:

• Open Standards Fundamentalist: we just need XML• Open Source Fundamentalist: we just need Linux• Vendor Fundamentalist: we must use next version of

our enterprise system (and you must fit in with this)• Accessibility Fundamentalist: we must do WAI

WCAG• User Fundamentalist: must do whatever users want• Legal Fundamentalist: it breaches copyright, …• Ownership Fundamentalist: must own everything we

use• Perfectionist: It doesn't do everything, so we'll do

nothing• Simplistic Developer: I've developed a perfect solution

– I don't care if it doesn't run in the real world• Web 2.0: It’s new; its cool!

IT S

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Bar

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The Librarian FundamentalistsLibrarians:

• Think they know better than the user e.g. they don't like people using Google Scholar; they should use Web of Knowledge (who cares that users find it easier to use Google Scholar & finds references they need that way?)

• Think that users should be forced to learn Boolean searching & other formal search techniques because this is good for them (despite Sheffield's study).

• Don't want the users to search for themselves (cf folksonomies) because they won't get it right.

• They still want to classify the entire Web - despite the fact that users don't use their lists of Web links.

• Want services to be perfect before they release them to users. They are uneasy with the concept of 'forever beta' (they don't believe that users have the ability to figure things out themselves and work around the bugs).

Libr

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Deployment StrategiesInterested in using Web 2.0 in your organisation?Worried about corporate inertia, power struggles, etc?There’s a need for a deployment strategy:

• Addressing business needs• Low-hanging fruits• Encouraging the enthusiasts• Gain experience of the browser tools – and see

what you’re missing!• Staff training & development• Address areas you feel comfortable with• Risk management strategy• …

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Let’s Be RealisticIAVE (International Association of Volunteer Effort) was “founded in 1970 by people who saw volunteering as a means to make connections across cultures”But the IAVE Social network:

• Only has 4 members

• And no discussions


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Let’s Be RealisticSome Ning groups are open, but some require registration:Is it worth it if:

• The numbers are small?

• The content is limited• The social network

doesn’t reflect my areas of interest

In addition:• Do I want to share

data on my relationships & music tastes with an unknown audience


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Your ConcernsPossible Concerns

• “It’s full of photos of kids getting drunk”• Web 2.0 is inaccessible to people with disabilities• It’s not sustainable• What about copyright infringement, data protection,

protection of minors, …? We’ll be sued.• “You’ll not catch me using Web 2.0!”

Addressing The Concerns• Understanding such concerns• Using technologies in appropriate ways• New media literacy strategies• Risks assessment & risk management• It may not be for everyone


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Privacy Concerns

Judge the risks that:• Company will lie or make mistakes• Implications of lies / mistakes

Also remember risks of not engaging with Social Web:• Missed opportunities• Failure to engage in brand management, …

You may have privacy concerns:

• Read the help pages• Learn how to

manage privacy settings

• Choose what you want to share


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Accessibility ConcernsAren’t Social Web services:

• Inaccessible to people with disabilities?

• Break accessibility guidelines (WCAG)

• Leave us liable to be taken to court?

People with disabilities are using Social Web servicesPeople with disabilities are using Social Web services – as are disability activists

DDA: Institutions must take ‘reasonable measures’ to ensure PWDs are discriminated against. Is it discrimatory to fail to provide access to services?


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Sustainability ConcernsWhat happens if Social Web services:

• Are unreliable?• Change their terms and conditions (e.g start

charging)?• Become bankrupt

Things to remember:• Services may be unreliable e.g. Twitter• Market pressure is leading to changes to T&C – &

paid-for services may become free (e.g. Friends Reunited)

• Banks may go bankrupt too – but we still use them• Need for risk assessment and risk management


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The Council FirewallThe reality:

• Useful Web services do get blocked

• There is dodgy/illegal/ dangerous material on the Web

• It may be simple to have a blanket ban

Suggested approaches:• We can accept certain levels

of risks• More sophisticated

responses are needed• We should share the

approaches we’ve taken

New Internet access policy for childrenFrom December 2008, children will be able to enjoy improved Internet access in all Portsmouth Libraries. The current “Walled Garden” arrangement will be discontinued. The Internet access offered will be similar to that provided in Portsmouth schools but we will also be allowing access to games, Web chat and social networking sites. For further information, please contact Patricia Garrett on xxx or email xxx

Feel free to respond to blog post at <http://blogs.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/2009/02/24/access-to-social-sites-is-blocked/>


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Interoperability IssuesWhat happens if Social Web services host your data and:

• You can’t get the data back out?• You only get the unstructured or poor quality data

back out?• You can’t get the comments, annotations, tags

out?There’s a need to:

• Ensure data export capabilities or• Upload data from an alternative managed sources• Understand limitations of data export / import and

make plans around limitations


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Support IssuesI don’t have the time to:

• Understand it all• Use the technologies• Embed technologies in

daily working practices• Train my colleagues

Common Craft video clips

You can:• View them at work• Listen to the podcast on

the Tube• Use them in training


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Deployment StrategiesI want to do use the Social Web but:

• The IT Services department bans it

• The council bans it• My boss doesn’t

approveArea of interest to UKOLN:

• “Just do it”• Subversive approach –

‘Friends of Foo’ if Foo can’t use it

• Encourage enthusiasts• Don’t get in the way

UKOLN briefing papers available with Creative Commons licence (over 30 docs published)


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IWMW 2006 & Risk Management IWMW 2006 has taken a risk management approach to its evaluation of Web 2.0 technologies:

• Agreements: e.g. in the case of the Chatbot.• Use of well-established services: Google &

del.icio.us are well-established and have financial security.

• Notification: warnings that services could be lost. • Engagement: with the user community: users actively

engage in the evaluation of the services. • Provision of alternative services: multiple OMPL

tools. • Use in non-mission critical areas: not for bookings! • Long term experiences of services: usage stats• Availability of alternative sources of data: e.g.

standard Web server log files.• Data export and aggregation: RSS feeds, aggregated

in Suprglu, OPML viewers, etc.

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http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2006/risk-assessment/


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Staff DevelopmentThere's a need for your staff to:

• Understand what Web 2.0 is about

• Learn how to make use of Web 2.0

subject to constraints of lack of time; resources; etc.The Library 2.0 Podcasts Web sites provides a useful resources for learning about new tools, techniques, etc.

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http://podcasts.alablog.org/blog/_archives/2006/4/12/1881517.html


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Information LiteracyLibrarything provides a good example of a Web 2.0 service:

• Catalogue your books• AJAX interface• Exploit data provided by

the community• Export capabilities• Other books you may

like• …Service may have potential to support information literacy. Not

only understanding the service, but also to illustrate possible dangers of creating embarrassing content

http://www.librarything.com/tag/Embarrassing


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ConclusionsTo conclude:

• Social Web can provide real benefits to charitable organisations

• There are barriers (e.g. inertia) and risks• We therefore need:

Advocacy To listen to concerns

To address these concerns• We can all benefit by adopting Web 2.0 principles of

openness and sharing. So let us: Share our resources, experiences, advocacy resources, risk

management techniques, etc. Make use of social network for your & your peers based on

openness, trust, collaboration, .. Read my UKWebFocus.wordpress.com Blog

Con

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QuestionsAny questions?

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